From the Experts: Michael Buckley

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Gary King spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we have the affable Michael Buckley of Harefield Cottage Stud.

GK: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee?

MB: Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}), Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis) and Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy) all seem quite appealing first-season stallion prospects. If I had to choose one, then maybe it would be Sergei Prokofiev at £6,500. A $1.1-million yearling by Scat Daddy out of a Tapit mare, he was a high class, precocious juvenile, third in the Coventry and won the G3 Cornwallis S. over 5 furlongs.

GK: Best value proven stallion, and why?

MB: Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) at €25,000. I think the team at Tally-Ho did a great job for breeders keeping Mehmas at an affordable fee, even though he had every right to stand for more. He had a record-breaking first season which reminds me of sire great Invincible Spirit (Ire) and he looks destined for the very top. He has not only sired winners but a plethora of black-type including a G1 Middle Park S. winner out of a mare with a highest official rating of 46.

GK: Who would you consider to be an under the radar stallion?

MB: Bungle Inthejungle (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) at a fee of €8,000. I consider him of great interest, particularly this season. In 2019, he served his best book of mares to date having reaped the rewards of a breakout 2018, and as a result we could see him take a big leap forward in 2022 before these foals are offered.

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Whitsbury Manor Stud Releases 2021 Fees

Whitsbury Manor Stud announced the stud fees for its five stallions in 2021. Heading the roster is Showcasing (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}–Arabesque {GB}, by Zafonic), who will stand for a reduced fee of ₤45,000, Oct. 1 SLF.

“Our industry finds itself in uncertain times and it is vital that we act accordingly,” said Ed Harper, Director of Whitsbury Manor Stud. “We have therefore listened to our clients and chosen to drop the fees of our three highest priced stallions to offer the best possible value to breeders and keep the wheels turning.”

“In any other year you could expect the sire of a champion [G1] Sussex S. winning miler such as Mohaather to increase in fee, but we feel this is the right thing to do in the circumstances. Showcasing now has five sons at stud which is phenomenal from where he started. He also enjoyed significant group race success this year with Alkumait, Bodhicitta, and Tropbeau, who we hope will all stay in training next season.”

Additionally, Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy–Orhcard Beach, by Tapit) will kick off his stud career at £6,500, Oct. 1 SLF.

“Being such a fast 2yo by Scat Daddy gives breeders an excellent opportunity to breed speed and precocity to their mares,” said Harper. “His turn of foot was exceptional and, as his [2017 KEESEP] yearling price of $1.1 million suggests, he has the looks to match.”

Due Diligence (War Front–Bema, by Pulpit) and Havana Grey (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}–Blanc De Chine {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) will both have their fees reduced to £6,000, Oct. 1 SLF.

Adaay (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}–Lady Lucia {Ire}, by Royal Applause {GB}), who is one of the leading first season sires in Europe with 22 individual juvenile winners and three black-type horses, will again stand at £5,000, Oct. 1 SLF.

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Medaglia d’Oro Half-Sis to Sergei Prokofiev to Shadwell

Hip 319, a Medaglia ‘Oro half-sister to Group 3 winner Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy), rolled to the top of the leaderboard about midway through the second day of bidding at the Keeneland September sale after selling to Shadwell Farm for $1.6 million. The Apr. 27 foal was bred in Ontario and consigned to the sale by Anderson Farms and was produced by Orchard Beach (Tapit), a $200,000 graduate of the 2012 September sale, whose produce have now accounted for better than $4 million in turnover at this auction since 2017. Sergei Prokofiev was a $1.1-million acquisition by M.V. Magnier out of the 2017 September sale, while the mare’s foal of 2017, a Hard Spun filly named Turko Beach, made $950,000 in 2018. Early Warning (Air Force Blue) was purchased by David Redvers for $400,000 at this venue 12 months ago. On Monday it was announced that Sergei Prokofiev would stand at Whitsbury Manor Stud.

Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate Company, perennially among the leading buyers at the September sale, purchased a pair of fillies by Medaglia d’Oro during Monday’s second session of the auction. Shadwell’s Kentucky manager Rick Nichols warmed up with the $425,000 purchase of hip 231 and then refused to be denied when bidding $1.6 million to acquire a daughter of the Darley stallion out of Orchard Beach (Tapit) from Dave Anderson’s Anderson Farms consignment later in the session.
“She was a beautiful filly, extremely well bred and conformationally correct,” Nichols said after signing the ticket on hip 319. “It’s one of those you kind of got to have.”
Sheikh Hamdan’s operation purchased 18 yearlings for $11,070,000 at last year’s September sale and was the auction’s second leading buyer.
“[Sheikh Hamdan] told me this morning to try to concentrate on getting some really nice fillies,” Nichols said. “We send all of our really good fillies to England and he promises that he’s going to send them back, but he never does. So our broodmare band is starting to get a little old and we need to rejuvenate it a little bit. We are looking for a nice colt, but mainly our focus will be on some nice fillies.”
Asked if the Shadwell game plan was to buy fewer horses this September, Nichols said, “Yes. We are looking for quality not quantity.”

Anderson Farms Hits Another High Note With Orchard Beach

The Anderson Farms-bred mare Orchard Beach (Tapit) has been quite the blue hen for the operation, producing Dave Anderson’s first million-dollar sale in Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy). She provided the Canada native with a new high Monday when her yearling filly by Medaglia d’Oro (Hip 319) hammered for a $1.6-million to Shadwell Farm.

“It means everything,” Anderson said. “I am very emotional right now. I bred the mother and now I bred this filly. She is probably the most athletic filly that I’ve ever had on the farm. I came in here fairly confident, hoping everyone would feel the same way I do. I am just thrilled that Mr. Nichols bought her for Shadwell. I want to thank Mr. [Joe] Allen for being the underbidder on the filly. So many wonderful people I respect, came by to see the filly and bid her. It means a lot to a little guy from Canada.”

The Ontario-based Anderson Farms purchased Hip 319’s second dam Song and Danz (Unbridled’s Song) for $400,000 with Orchard Beach in utero. Orchard Beach was winless in two starts on the track, but has more than made up for it in the breeding shed. Her first foal, GSW Sergei Prokofiev, sold for $1.1-million to M.V. Magnier at the 2017 renewal of this auction and her second foal, a Hard Spun filly now named Turko Beach, brought $950,000 from Shawn Duggan. She is also responsible for a now-2-year-old colt named Early Warning (Air Force Blue), who sold for $400,000 last year.

“It has been a long time,” Anderson said of his increasing success. “We try hard. I don’t necessarily have the resources to buy the top stock, so I just do the best I can.”

As for this filly in particular, Anderson said, “From the day she was born she was meant to be a sale topper. Not only is she athletic, but she has unbelievable racehorse mind. She wants to do it. She dragged that showman around for three days and never turned a hair. It was amazing to watch. I could sit there for a year and watch that filly walk back and forth.”

Anderson Farms is also responsible for the likes of Canadian Horse of the Year and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro) and one-eyed Grade I winner Hard Not to Love (Hard Spun).  @CDeBernardisTDN

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GSW Sergei Prokofiev to Stand at Whitsbury Manor

Group winner Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy-Orchard Beach, by Tapit) will stand at Whitsbury Manor Stud in 2021 after an agreement was reached with Coolmore Stud, the UK nursery announced on Monday. A fee has not yet been set.

Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Inc., he caught the eye of MV Magnier at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, who went to $1.1 million to secure the son of Orchard Beach. Named a ‘TDN Rising Star’after graduating by 7 1/2 lengths at Navan at second asking for Aidan O’Brien and a Coolmore partnership in April of 2018, he added a win at listed level at Naas a month later and was a solid third in the G2 Coventry S. behind Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and subsequent three-time Group1 winner Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) that June. In October of 2018, he scored in the G3 Cornwallis S. His record stands at four wins from 13 starts and $181,145 in earnings.

“We are immensely excited to stand Sergei Prokofiev,” said Whitsbury Manor Stud Director Ed Harper. “His turn of foot in the Cornwallis S. at Newmarket really had to be seen to be believed and his performance at Royal Ascot put him firmly alongside the season’s best 2-year-olds. He is an imposing individual typical of his sire Scat Daddy with an exaggerated athletic walk who will offer our clients an extremely commercial option for next season.”

Sergei Prokofiev’s dam is a half-sister to GIII Hollywood Juvenile Championship S. victress Necessary Evil (Harlan’s Holiday), while this is the extended family of GI Spinaway S. heroine Over All (Mr. Prospector). His half-sister by Medaglia d’Oro (hip 319) sold for $1.6 million to Shadwell during the second day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Monday.

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